This important, high caliber meeting was first initiated in Venice, Italy in 1992 with the purpose of advancing the science of hepatitis C virus and related viruses, the symposium’s stature has grown in direct proportion to the maturation of the field of research. The  symposium now welcomes the leading names in the hepatitis C field, including top scientists, promising junior scientists, public health experts, clinicians and members of the corporate sector. It is the premier venue for the discipline and provides a world stage on which cutting edge research of the highest scientific caliber is presented and debated among the international community.

The goals of the symposium are to increase the scientific understanding of the virus, and to gain insights applicable to future efforts for controlling its spread.

Each day offers a variety of oral plenary sessions composed of submitted high quality abstracts enriched by presentations from renowned invited speakers. Further abstracts will be scheduled as poster presentations with specific poster viewing times. The program will feature the following topics: Viral Entry, Translation, Replication, Assembly and Release, Innate Immunity, Adaptive Immunity, Pathogenesis, Host Factors, Vaccines, Drug Development, Treatment and Epidemiology.

It is expected that around 700 scientists from around the globe will gather for five days in Seattle, Washington to be a part of this event.

EASL supports and endorses the HCV 2011 Symposium to further encourage global participation and to foster sustainable growth for this meeting. The devastation of this disease is well known, and the need for continued scientific inquiry remains critical in our quest for global control of the hepatitis C epidemic. Young scientists worldwide are encouraged to participate in the symposium, so that a critical pipeline of scientific talent can be built to carry forward this vital field of research into the future.